Sneakernomics: Retail should be Omnipresent, not Omnichannel

I’ve never liked the term “omnichannel” to describe the new sports retail environment. To me, this is looking at the business from an old-school, logistics driven point of view. 

What we need in sports retail is a customer-centric approach. Brands and retailers are no longer in charge of the conversation or the transaction; the consumers are 100 percent in charge, and they demand to shop whenever, wherever, and however they want. In other words, retail must be omnipresent, not omnichannel.

Brands and retailer no longer create trends; they feed trends. In order to feed consumer driven trends, brand and retailers must have their products available 24/7 and on a variety of platforms.

A recent NPD study showed that two-thirds of consumers who buy on the web make their next purchase in a physical store. [MG1] The sports consumer is moving back and forth from various shopping platforms. An omnipresent retailer must be able to meet the consumer wherever they are.

Omnipresent sports retail will change the platform of physical stores. Stores will now be showrooms for a broader online assortment, warehouses for e-commerce fulfillment, and return/exchange centers.

So, how does a physical store become omnipresent? By developing one singular view of the consumer.

Omnipresent retail has one database housing all the transaction history from their customers. These databases also have information on sports consumers’ preferences and interests.

There is only one retail inventory at an omnipresent retailer. All inventory—whether in a store, warehouse, or even in shared vendor sites—is visible and common.

Omnipresent retail has one price, regardless of where the sale is completed. That price must be transparent, matching any other competing price in competitors’ or brands’ sites.

There can only be one voice for an omnipresent retailer, which means marketing messages must be consistent across all platforms.

Omnipresent retailers have one set of policies for everything like returns to shipping fees. Policies must be consistent, regardless of where the consumer ships.

It is also critical that loyalty programs are consistent across all platforms. As loyalty programs become even more important, the platform cannot dictate the programs.

As the Internet of things becomes more pervasive and with the growth of voice controlled shopping, omnipresence will become even more critical to a brand or retailer’s success.

 [MG1]What’s the name of the study?